It is known to provide motor vehicles with an engine stop/start system with a view to improving fuel economy. The stop/start system is designed to turn the engine off automatically when pre-defined engine-stop conditions are met, e.g. that the vehicle is being held stationary with a driver-operated brake pedal depressed. The condition in which the vehicle is held stationary with the engine automatically switched off during a drive cycle is known as an ‘eco-stop’ condition.
When the driver releases the brake pedal the engine may be restarted and transmission of torque to the drive wheels of the vehicle may be re-engaged. That is, under ‘no fault’ normal operating conditions, release of the brake pedal by the driver triggers the engine to be restarted, the driveline to be closed and torque to be transmitted to the drive wheels. The condition of restarting the engine during a drive cycle is known as an ‘eco-start’ condition.
Whilst it is acceptable to stop and start the engine in this manner during normal operation of a vehicle, the Applicant has recognised that it can compromise composure of the vehicle and prove unsettling for the driver in certain circumstances, for example when driving an off-road vehicle over steep and/or undulating terrain especially when driving across difficult off-road terrain.
The present invention sets out to address the afore-mentioned shortcoming.